New Guy - Saying Hello with Pics!

[LuckyLane]

Been using the site for the wealth of information it has to offer over the last year, thought it was only right for me to get signed up and contribute when I can.

So, Hello and thanks for all the information that everyone provides!

Installed a Pacific Energy insert last February and this is my first full winter burning. Didn't get to burn much wood last year as I had very little that was seasoned to burn. I spent last winter getting 4+ cords CSS so I had wood for this winter. Will have burned a little over 2 cords by the end of Feb. Pictures are from last winter showing in-process action, the gator retrieving some cherry along the property line, and the stack towards the end of winter.

Processed another cord over last summer and I've got another cord CSS this winter to replace what gets burned this year. Still gathering wood this winter so I'll provide additional updates as I get more pics!

 

[raybonz]

Welcome to the forum Lucky! You look like a wood burning veteran already!

Ray

 

[Mitch Newton]

Looks good to me

 

[Ralphie Boy]

Welcome! You don't look like no new guy with that nice bunch of wood you got there. That right rear tire looks like it could use some help!

 

[jdp1152]

Looks like you're saving up some rounds....guessing you're doing all your splitting by hand.

 

[ScotO]

welcome to the nuthouse, LuckyLane! Like the others said, appears you know what you are doing already. Time for you to join the ranks of our club......

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/firewood-hoarders-club-ltd.52839/

As you know (from being a lurker on here) we sure do love pictures! So as your season progresses (and even in the 'off' season) keep us posted on your addiction!

 

[Thistle]

welcome to the nuthouse, LuckyLane! Like the others said, appears you know what you are doing already. Time for you to join the ranks of our club......
[/quote]

Right on....

 

[andybaker]

Welcome LuckyLane. Looks like you know just what your doing. Good job and beware, this stuff gets addicting.

 

[westkywood]

Welcome. Welcome. This is the place to be....

 

[WeldrDave]

welcome to the nuthouse, LuckyLane! Like the others said, appears you know what you are doing already. Time for you to join the ranks of our club......

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/firewood-hoarders-club-ltd.52839/

As you know (from being a lurker on here) we sure do love pictures! So as your season progresses (and even in the 'off' season) keep us posted on your addiction!

Amen!! It's fun... I wish I saw wood like that.... , Giving it Hell though.... WELCOME......, great people here, i'm new and they make you feel at home!

 

[Blue2ndaries]

Welcome Lucky and keep them pics comin'!

 

[bogydave]

Welcome L L
Nice set up & pictures.
Big wood & big stacks. Looking good

Not snow, must no be Hawaii LOL

 

[Locust Post]

Welcome Lucky.....where does Lucky hail from ?

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Welcome to the forum LuckyLane.

It appears you even have a high spot for your wood stacks which is ideal. I see Ralphie spotted that soft tire too. Shouldn't be a difficult problem there. I'm also a bit interested in your avatar. Looks like a tank on that truck. Propane?

 

[LuckyLane]

Thanks all for the warm welcome!

I bought my first saw (Stihl 029) new about 18 years ago and have cut wood off/on since then. Always have enjoyed being outdoors but never burned with any regularity. We've been in our current house for almost 6 years and have a little acreage that needs maintenance, inlcuding tree removal. We installed the insert and figured that since we had the wood, might as well put it to use !

Welcome! You don't look like no new guy with that nice bunch of wood you got there. That right rear tire looks like it could use some help!

Yea, that tire was real low. That was my first haul last winter and I didn't realize until I loaded it up and snapped that pick. Went straight to air it up following that shot!

 

[LuckyLane]

Looks like you're saving up some rounds....guessing you're doing all your splitting by hand.

You are mostly correct. I do have a 3 pt splitter that I run off the tractor hydrualics - kept reading here about the Fiskars last winter and decided to try it for myself. Now I split 95% by hand, only pull out the splitter for the knarly stuff.

 

[LuckyLane]

Welcome Lucky.....where does Lucky hail from ?

Thought I had my location showing but realized I didn't - got it updated now. I'm a fellow Buckeye, just to the west of Mansfield.

 

[red oak]

LuckyLane - welcome! Looks like a great area that you live in, and a fantastic stack of wood!

 

[LuckyLane]

Welcome to the forum LuckyLane.

It appears you even have a high spot for your wood stacks which is ideal. I see Ralphie spotted that soft tire too. Shouldn't be a difficult problem there. I'm also a bit interested in your avatar. Looks like a tank on that truck. Propane?

Good eye Dennis - my stacks are on a little hilltop, running east/west and getting full exposure to the south. Prevailing winds are usually out of the west or southwest so good air flow between the stacks. All things I learned here from many hours of reading and soaking up the knowledge.

My avatar picture is a photo my wife took this past summer. We lost the original barn on our property to high winds a few years back and finally built a new pole barn last summer. The truck in the picture is of one of the concrete trucks when we poured the floor in the new barn. I was pleased with how the barn turned out and love how the concrete truck looks parked coming out the front!

 

[osagebow]

Nice stacks, LL! Need to replace my honda quad with a gator like that.

 

[LuckyLane]

I know we all like pictures, so thought I'd share a few I took this afternoon.

First a little background. We have a small, 1/2 acre pond that I'm slowly working on improving. Good air flow and minimal debris (leaves, branches, etc.) are important to a healthy pond. I started cutting down the trees on the banks of the pond last winter and this winter my goal is to get them all removed. Despite off and on snow squalls, I spent 4 hours taking down 2 more locust. The one down in the pictures is the second and larger of the two I dropped.

One week ago, I was only a two saw operation, my original 029 and my 036 Pro which I purchased last summer from a local saw guru who took it on trade with a slightly scored piston. He did a complete tear down and rebuild and put it up for sale. As so many before me, I was influenced by all I've read here and decided to pull the trigger. WOW - have not used my 029 since the 036 came home. With the 036 began my CAD and I figured at some point my next purchase would be either a lightweight limbing saw or something larger than the 036 to run a bigger bar/chain to tackle the big stuff on our property. Figured I'd wait until I stumbled across a good deal. Trying to keep this short, anyways...

...I'm always envious when I read about what seems like everybody and their brother getting great saws for next to nothing prices. I always scan the local craigslist thinking my day will come. Well last Saturday was my day. I responded to an ad for a Husqvarna 372XP with 20" bar/chain for what seemed like a good price. Did some quick research and figured it may be a good candidate for a 28" combo since I can run 16", 18", and 20" on my 036. Go to check it out and the condition is a little more used than I'd like but saw starts/runs real strong and saw doesn't show any serious abuse. While talking to the guy, I also find out he's selling a Stihl MS192T top handle trim saw for cheap and willing to deal if I take both saws. A steal of a deal was made. So, today was my first chance to give them a trial run cutting for any length of time. Here they sit after getting them ready this afternoon before heading out.

The Husky needs a bigger bar/chain than 20". It just rips through wood like nothing else. The 192 is addictive as well. Light with good power although the top handle takes some getting used to. Both need some tuning and more cleaning. I'm a complete rookie when it comes to saw tuning/maintenance but I'm learning and going to try my hand with improving these 2.

Ended up with 2 1/2 gator loads today. Here's the first load heading back to my processing area.


Plus, I pulled part of a cherry that had a split trunk that was down out of the edge of the woods. Still needs bucked. This picture shows the 2 1/2 gator loads dumped and the cherry still to be bucked. Can't think of a better way to spend a winter afternoon!

 

[LuckyLane]

Nice stacks, LL! Need to replace my honda quad with a gator like that.

Prior to the gator, I had a Honda Rancher. I liked the Rancher but my wife wanted something a little easier to drive so I sold the Honda and found a low hour used gator. It's slow compared to a quad but the ability to haul in the bed is well worth the trade off. I'd like 4WD for driving in snow deeper than 4" but I find it floats very well in mud and with weight in the bed does okay in snow until ground clearance becomes an issue.

 

[midwestcoast]

Welcome! Some nice wood you have put up there. That was a big Locust!
Quite the stable of saws too. You might as well get some cash for that 029 as you won't be needing it now

 

[tfdchief]

Welcome LL. As others have said, I, I mean We, love pictures Great looking stacks and equipment.

 

[Locust Post]

Thought I had my location showing but realized I didn't - got it updated now. I'm a fellow Buckeye, just to the west of Mansfield.

Nice area out that way Lucky. I'm an insurance damage appraiser and had to work that area a few years back when they had all the flooding out there. Spent most of my time around Bucyrus and Upper Sandusky. Can't remember when that was. I'm thinking maybe 5 or 6 years ago.